FOOTBALL TOUR SCHEME

Evening Star, Issue 22233, 10 January 1936, Page 6

FOOTBALL TOUR SCHEME

CONVICTION FOR FRAUD

[Per United Press Association.] WELLINGTON, January 10. Arising out of schemes of advertising in connection with the All Blacks’ tour, John Anthony Crawford (47), a canvasser, appeared before Mr Lawry, S.M., on 15 charges, at Auckland and Wellington, of obtaining money by false pretences. He approached firms saying that he had arranged for advertising cards to be printed, and representing that they would contain the itinerary of the All Blacks’ tour.

Accused said he did all right for about three months, and honestly intended to have the cards printed, but it was on the matter of assistance promised him that he fell down on the job. The Magistrate: The difficulty in this case is that there are a large number of offences. The false pretences are almost identical, and there is the fact that after you committed 10 of, these offences in Auckland, earlier-in the ’year, in June and July, knowing that you had defrauded all those people, you came to Wellington and committed the same class of offence on five occasions. In view of the large number of convictions you have had, I must sentence you to six months’ imprisonment.” He added that the maximum term he could sentence accused to on a charge of that nature was three months, so he would impose that term on one of the Auckland charges and one of the Wellington charges, the terms to be cumulative.